‘Indeed Allah accepts charity, and He accepts it with His Right (Hand) to nurture it for one of you, just like one of you would nurture his foal, until the bite (of food) becomes as large as Uhud.’ The Book of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime testifies to that: (He accepts repentance from His worshippers, and accepts charity.) [At-Tawbah 9:104.] And: (Allah will destroy ribaa and will give increase for charity.) [Al-Baqarah 2:276.]”

[Abu ‘Isa] said:

This hadith is [hasan] sahih. It has been reported from ‘Aishah from the Prophet (sall Allahu `alaihi wa sallam) similarly.

More than one of the people of knowledge have spoken about this hadith, and the narrations that resemble it about the Attributes and the Descent of the Lord, Blessed and Most High, every night to the lowest Heaven.

They said: ‘The narrations about these are affirmed and to be believed in without misinterpreting them nor saying ‘how’.

It has been reported like this from Malik [bin Anas], Sufyan bin ‘Uyainah, ‘Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak; they would say about these hadiths: They are conveyed without saying how. This is the view of the people of knowledge among Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah.

As for the Jahmiyyah, they reject these narrations and they say that this is tashbeeh. [Anthropomorphism, resembling Allah to creatures.] And in other places in His Book, Allah, Blessed and Most High is He, has mentioned the Hand, the Hearing, the Seeing, so the Jahmiyyah misinterpret these Ayât and give them interpretations other than the interpretations of the people of knowledge. They say that Allah did not create Adam with His Hand, and they say the meaning of Hand is merely power.

Is-haq bin Ibrahim said: ‘At-tashbeeh is only when one says “Hand; like a hand,” or “similar to a hand” or “Hearing; like hearing” or “similar to hearing.” So when one says “Hearing; like hearing or similar to hearing” then this is the tashbeeh. As for when one says as Allah [Most High] said, Hand, Hearing, Seeing, and he does not say how nor say “similar to hearing” nor “like hearing,” then this is not tashbeeh. It is merely as Allah, Blessed and Most High be He said: (There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.) [Ash-Shura 42:11].”

This is the end of what Imam at-Tirmidhi said after that hadith, and “Abu `Isa” is at-Tirmidhi.

In it he listed the following Imams: Malik [bin Anas], Sufyan bin ‘Uyainah, ‘Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak, and that: “they would say about these hadiths: They are conveyed without saying how.”

Then he made the general statement: “This is the view of the people of knowledge among Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah.” And since he died in the year 279 after Hijrah, this means that according to what had been narrated up to 279 after Hijrah, this was the view of the people of knowledge among Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah.

He also mentioned the statement of Is-haq bin Ibrahim, the famous scholar and companion of Imam Ahmad, regarding at-tashbeeh, and a clear explanation of that.

And he said: “As for the Jahmiyyah, they reject these narrations and they say that this is tashbeeh”

And he said about the Jahmiyyah: “They say that Allah did not create Adam with His Hand, and they say the meaning of Hand is merely power.”

After number 3298, and it is a weak hadith not cited here, in the last sentence, Imam at-Tirmidhi says:

“And Allah’s knowledge and His ability, and His power are in every place, and He is upon the Throne, as He described in His Book.”

This is a very clear articulation of the belief that Allah’s knowledge, ability and power are in every place, while He is upon the Throne, as He described.

Again this was the belief of Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah prior to the year 279 after Hijrah.

In the chapters on Tafsir; the tafsir of Surat al-Ma’idah, under number 3045 is the authentic hadith:

“Abu Hurairah said: ‘Allah’s Messenger (sall Allahu `alaihi wa sallam) said: “Ar-Rahman’s Hand is full, He spends without any decrease night and day.” He said: “Do you not see how much He has spent since He created the Heavens and the earth, yet it has not decreased what is in His Hand, and His Throne is over the water, and in His other Hand is the Mizan (Scale) which He raises and lowers.”

Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan saheeh hadeeth. This is regarding the tafsir of this ayah: (The Jews say: “Allah’s Hand is tied up.” Be their hands tied up…)[Al-Ma’idah 5:64.] The Imams say about this: It is believed in as it comes without explanation nor misinterpretation. This was said by more than one of the Imams, among them: Sufyan Ath-Thawri, Malik bin Anas, Ibn ‘Uyainah, Ibn Al-Mubarak – that they thought that these matters were to be believed in without saying ‘how’.”(End quote)

Again, he makes the belief of these Imams clear, it is believed in as it comes, without saying how it is.

So this was the clear belief about these matters among the people of knowledge of Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah up until the year 279 after Hijrah.

And these quotations from the illustrious Imam at-Tirmidhi, are a hard blow against those who today claim to be among Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah, while they say about Allah, that He is everywhere, that He is not above His Throne, or that His Hand means His power, and the like.

I have noted the date of the death of Imam at-Tirmidhi a number of times only to stress the importance of this matter, and to remind that it has been clearly recorded for us.

Imam Abul-Hasan was born in the year 260 after Hijrah according to as-Subki in Tabaqat ash-Shaafi`yah. This is important, since it means that he was in his teens or younger when Imam at-Tirmidhi stated the quotations included in what is written below. He was about 19 years old when Imam at-Tirmidhi died, and it was mentioned by as-Subki that Abul-Hasan remained upon the beliefs of the Mu`tazilah for forty years. After which he repented from that.

What is important here is that the creed of Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah on the matter related to what Allah has described Himself with, and what is found in the Sunnah of that – this was clearly recorded and passed down to us in the statements of Imam at-Tirmidhi which were mentioned above. Since at-Tirmidhi died in the year 279, and at that time Abul-Hasan was among the Mu`tazilah, then whatever people now claim (falsely) is the belief of Abul-Hasan, or claim (falsely) is the belief of Ahl As-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah, if it contradicts what at-Tirmidhi has explained in the previous statements – then this clearly came after the creed of the salaf.

Yet for some reason, when this topic comes up, the reply is always that the “Wahhabis are liars, they remove from the books, they have added to the books.”

So what will they say? Did we make up these parts of Sunan at-Tirmidhi? Did we forge these statements of his? Did we add these comments to his book? And I would not be surprised that one of them tries to make such a claim!

Is not Sunan at-Tirmidhi one of the famous “Six Books?” Is it not one of the six most correct collections of the Sunnah organized if fiqh chapters?

Rather the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah of 279 after Hijrah on this matter is recorded for us in these brief statements of Imam at-Tirmidhi, it is a historical record which we narrate by chains of transmission, which only the Rafidhi or Zindiq will deny.

So this is an important lesson, and those who take heed will note; if it was not from the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah to say: “Hand means power” in 279, then it is not correct after 279 to say it.

And if it was not from the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah in 279 to say: “Allah did not create Adam with His Hand,” then is not correct after 279 to say it.

And if: ‘At-tashbeeh is only when one says “Hand; like a hand,” or “similar to a hand” – even up to 279! Then how is it correct that saying: “Allah’s Hand” – is tashbeeh – after 279!

And if “He is upon the Throne as He described” was in 279! Then how is it correct that saying so is “tashbeeh” after 279!

Here, if we believe those who deny Allah’s Attributes today, they would have us ignore all of the statements of the early Imams on these matters, to follow those who came later, and yet they claim – even though they follow those who came later – that they are following the salaf!